underfunding threatened the continuing existence of the house. An endowment from the estate of the philanthropist Paul Mellon, together with other donations and National Lottery funding, provided the necessary resources to "secure the long term survival of the property". The manor receives circa 20,000 visitors a year, many of them from the United States. Bruce Bailey, Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner, in their revised 2013 Northamptonshire volume of the Pevsner Buildings of England series, describe it as a "mecca for American visitors". Architecture and description The house consists of three bays and two storeys with attics. The construction material is limestone rubble. The central porch, and the east wing are original 16th century work, while the north wing dates from the 18th century, and the west wing is an early 20th century rebuilding by Blomfield. The house follows the traditional hall house plan, with the fireplace in the Great Chamber being original. The screen is a 20th-century Blomfield replacement. Listing designations Historic England is the statutory body with responsibility for the listing of buildings in England. It uses a three-tier rating system, classifying listed buildings into three categories; Grade I, the highest grade, for buildings of “exceptional interest”, Grade II*, the next grade, for buildings of “more than special interest”, and Grade II, the lowest grade, for buildings of “special interest”. Historic England has designated the Manor House, and its attached brewhouse, as Grade I. The gate piers either side of the entrance have Grade II designations, as has Manor Cottage. The Manor House gardens are separately listed Grade II on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. Notes References Sources External links Sulgrave Manor Trust homepage Video tour of Sulgrave Manor produced by the Mount Vernon Estate Grade I listed houses Grade I listed buildings in Northamptonshire Country houses in Northamptonshire Washington family residences